Tampa International Airport (TPA) is making sustainability a key part of its largest terminal expansion in nearly two decades writes TPA’s News. As construction begins on the new Airside D, workers are recycling more than 467,000 square feet of old concrete apron—formerly used for overnight aircraft parking—to help build the facility’s foundation and support infrastructure. Instead of sending the broken slabs to a landfill, TPA is crushing and reusing the material on-site, giving the old concrete a second life beneath the next generation of airport facilities.
The process begins with heavy machinery jackhammering the surface and breaking it into large chunks, which are then carefully sorted to remove rebar, wire mesh, and other debris. Once cleaned, the concrete is crushed into smaller aggregate that will serve several construction purposes: as gravel for the new terminal’s foundation and drainage system, and as a base for construction access roads throughout the site. This approach reduces material waste, limits emissions from hauling debris off-site, and cuts down on the need for newly sourced aggregate—showcasing how concrete’s recyclability supports more sustainable construction practices.
This demolition and recycling phase is part of a $91 million enabling contract awarded by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority to prepare the site for the new Airside D, which is set to open in 2028. Once completed, the 600,000-square-foot terminal will be the airport’s largest, helping Tampa International handle up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037. In reusing existing concrete, the airport is not only preserving valuable resources but also demonstrating how smart design and material reuse can help build resilient infrastructure for the future.
Read more here: https://news.tampaairport.com/tpa-recycling-old-concrete-to-help-build-airside-d/